


To Look Further

by issaMorg



Series: Who Watches the Watchers? [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, M/M, fae!au, if u didn't read the first part this will make no sense, it's complicated - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-22 00:01:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11955489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/issaMorg/pseuds/issaMorg
Summary: Your time as their Watcher has been so fulfilling and wonderful...But the full moon only lasts so long.What you wouldn't give for the option to see them all the time. That's too good to be true, though, and could never happen.... Right?





	To Look Further

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shatterdreams](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shatterdreams/gifts).



> Make sure you read [To Look Beyond](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11554764) first, otherwise this will make no sense.

Your life had gone from monotonous to quite exciting with the addition of the Avatars of Autumn and Winter in your routine. Oh, you had a majority of the month at any given time when you could neither see nor hear them, but you cherished the time in which you could, in fact, interact with them. They were a light you hadn’t known you were missing in your life, and you relished in their glow.

 

But it hurt, as the full moons you spent together faded away. It hurt to only see them for a week, should you be so lucky. You missed them, almost as if there was a physical aching for their camaraderie.

 

Oh, you tried not to bring it up, but the three of you all felt the gloom as the moon waned. You didn’t want them to go back to lingering behind your sight. You didn’t want them to be trapped with you, but unable to converse with you.

 

And you three had tried your best to keep in contact when the moon did not permit you to be around.

 

You tried leaving cards with phrases out, in hopes that they could flick through them. You tried a ouija board. You tried pictionary for fuck’s sake.

 

Nothing. They were unable to interact with any of the ideas, not until it became closer to the full moon…

 

And then, on the day of the new moon, the planchette on the ouija board moved.

 

First a rapid wiggling to get your attention, before settling on the letter ‘F’. You walked over, sitting at the table to watch the board with rapt attention. How much effort was being expended to move this?

 

‘F-R-O-S-T’ and a dramatic pause here, you would guess to emphasize space. ‘I-D-E-A.’

 

You nodded, assuming they could see you, and reached over to grab a notepad and pen you had left lying around. Flipping away from the budding grocery list, you paid rapt attention to the board.

 

‘F-A-E-R-I-E   S-A-L-V-E’

 

The air felt tense as the idea was planted, the mood seeming to convey a feeling of seriousness or dire necessity. You tilted your head in confusion, but titled the page after the foreign concoction.

 

Slowly the list came into being before your eyes- spring water, gold coin, seasonal flowers, moonlight, and cardinal directions?

 

It was an odd list, but you nodded regardless. “Alright, I’ll retrieve these. Do I need to prepare it ahead of time?”

 

You watched the planchette make some uncertain circles, before stopping on ‘NO.’

 

You nodded again, “So you two will be able to help me?”

 

Here the planchette wiggled and zipped back and forth between ‘YES’ and ‘NO,’ never settling on one. Clearly the two of them were bickering again, so you placed a finger on the planchette to stop it halfway between the two words.

 

“We’ll talk about this once it gets closer to the full moon, does that sound fair?”

 

Slowly, almost begrudgingly, the planchette moved to sit on the ‘YES’ portion of the board. You hummed in satisfaction, waiting for a few moments to see if the duo had anything else to add.

 

After the silence stretched for a few minutes, you gathered both your lists and headed out. You had a few errands to run, apparently.

As it turned out, the ingredients were  _ very  _ specific as to what quality was needed.

 

First, the spring water you got was absolutely no good- buying it from the store was apparently a no-go. That lead to you making an afternoon of finding your nearest water sources- going to several just to make absolutely certain that at least one of them would qualify as good enough for the recipe.

 

The coins had to be  _ solid  _ gold, and most of the ones you’d found fell in the realm of  _ gold-plated _ . Eventually you found what you needed on Ebay, but it took far longer than you’d anticipated to show up.  Not to mention the price was a bit excessive- but the boys thought you needed it so it was worth it .

 

Then you kept collecting the wrong type of seasonal flowers? You honestly didn’t think you could collect flowers wrong, but you got more of a negative response than a positive one from the  _ Others _ .

 

Thank goodness you couldn’t mess up moonlight, right?

 

“What do you mean I have to babysit this for five nights? How am I supposed to find windowsills that face the cardinal directions in  _ the city _ ?”

It would seem that the final problem, however, would arise when your companions could once again speak with you.

 

Frost spoke up, his soft and calming voice soothing your agitated nerves. “We’ll be here to help you, don’t worry about that. The problem is… well, how do we say this-”

 

“Our kind naturally avoids helping when humans endeavor to make this,” ever blunt and straightforward, King was the one to cut to the chase. “We can work past that, but even with our status as the Avatars, making this concoction will gain you no favors with the local Court for some time.”

 

“Not unless you then bequeath the salve unto them, of course,” Frost hurried to chip in. “As a gesture of goodwill, not keeping this creation will soothe any ruffled feathers. Well, most of them, at least.”

 

Your brow furrows in confusion, “what do you mean by ‘avoids helping?’ I thought you already helped by ingredient vetting? Is there more to it?”

 

There was an awkward silence, the two thinking about what they wanted to say, before a quick conversation was had in the melodic language that the  _ Others  _ claimed as their own.

 

Honestly, with how often they did that in front of you, you’d learn that language some day.  At this rate, it would be sooner rather than later .

 

You drummed your fingers on your table as you waited for them to finish, your body language fully conveying your displeasure at being spoken of in a conversation you couldn’t comprehend. It was rude of them to say the least, you thought.

 

Finally, Frost spoke up again. “We… You need magic for this, Dove. If asked, any of the fair folk can give aid in the form of magic- should it benefit us or we feel so generous. This salve, it needs some constant magical concentration for it to be effective. To let up on it is to cause it to fail, whereas to over concentrate your efforts will also void the creation. The balance… It’s difficult to maintain, especially if every fiber of your being is telling you not to create such a thing.”

 

King grunted and spoke up somewhere on your other side, his voice as similar to the crackling of flame as ever. “Not to mention you would have to be babysitting this for far longer than five nights. You would have to forgo sleep for a solid five  _ days  _ in this process. It’s a reckless idea, but the benefits should it succeed…”

 

You tilted your head in inquiry, turning from where you’d heard King’s voice to where you’d hear Frost’s.

 

There was a sigh from Frost, and then the Winter being chipped in. “The benefit would be constant access to us. No dependency on the moon, the view of your Sight would be permanently expanded. There would be no further times when you could only hear us, this salve will let us be together, so long as you wish it.”

 

Your fingers abruptly stop drumming, your gaze fixed solely upon the glass bottle in front of you. That… the promise of that was almost too good to be true, no wonder the cost was such a steep one.

 

“I’ll do it.”

 

There was a sudden silence throughout your home. The air was thick as the three of you thought out what your statement fully implied.

 

“ _ Cariño _ ,” King started, and it sounded like he strode over to you, “you… you might not have the energy to confront this. We don’t know the extent of your magic. If you overextend yourself-” he abruptly cut himself off with a snarl and it sounded like he stormed out of the room. Quite honestly, if the sudden spike and then silence of the crackle of flames was anything to go by, you would hazard a guess that he was no longer in your home.

 

Frost heaved a sigh and seemed to collapse into your armchair. “He’s worried, Dove. We both are. If there were any other solution, anything else that would allow us to be together full time…” he sighed, and the sound of claws scraping against a mask permeated your abode.

 

“Dove, this could kill you. To over exert yourself, to stretch yourself so thin… You would be gone. Gone and we could not follow,” he sighed, this time you heard claws trailing through fabric as he weighed his words.

 

“We don’t like to bring this up, especially not to Watchers in the prime of their lives, but there is generally a protocol for Watchers nearing the end of their time.”

 

You hummed, a questioning sound that beckoned him to continue his explanation. With a smaller sigh, he did continue, “Watchers who reach the end of their lives- preferably after living a long, prosperous one with as many children as desired- have two options. The first, and generally more accepted one, is for them to end their days in the world of humanity. Generally, the older Watchers are more willing to be put to rest.

 

“However, there is a second option. For those who feel they are not ready to move on, we bring to our realm. Those that choose this option may continue to live with us and be treasured, their youth returned where it had faded. Younglings fawn over them, and love to hear the Watcher’s tales of the human world. The Elders know how much respect a Watcher can and will command. A Watcher immersed in our world becomes a veritable power source, and one who is immune to our greatest weakness.

 

“However,” he paused, taking a deep breath before he continued his lecture, “the longer they stay in our realm, the less a Watcher keeps their traces of humanity… Your species, you were not designed to last as long as we do. Your minds, in efforts to last that long-” he cut himself off, and you once more heard the sound of claws over thick fabric.

 

“Humans become more like us when exposed to our realm for too long,” you jumped a little in shock at King’s sudden reappearance.  Well, as much as a being you currently couldn’t see could reappear .

 

“Like you?” The question spilled unbidden from between your lips, but with a grunt King answered it.

 

“Like us. If you haven’t noticed, beings who live for so long tend to get… odd. Our perspectives warp, our minds see and know  _ far  _ too much, and we tend to become… distant, to say the least.”

 

Frost chose then to hop back in, “that’s why the Watchers are so important to the Elders of our kind. To tether back to this world, to reattach and to develop again emotionally. You are all so important, and that is why we watch you all so closely. For the Watchers to die out, for us to go back to being unseen by all…”

 

“It would destroy us,” King solemnly stated. You rolled all this information over in your mind, before King tagged on one last tidbit. “It would utterly destroy us, but how humanity would fare from that fallout? We could never say with any certainty, only that there would be no true peace for some time.”

 

You felt a question burning on the tip of your tongue, but you held back as the silence permeated the entirety of your dwelling.

 

A good few minutes passed slowly, the chunk of time slipping away like sand through an hourglass.

 

Eventually you cleared your throat, the two  _ Others  _ making noises of acknowledgement so you knew they heard.

 

“So… where do we begin with creating this salve?”

You were bone weary. Absolutely spread as thin as you could be, without physically being a smear of butter on toast. There was not a shadow of a doubt that you would much rather be spending your hard-earned vacation days doing literally anything but this.

 

But you had to do it, you  _ had _ to. 

 

You were lucky, relatively speaking. Your building had roof access, so the first night you just spent on the roof basking in the moonlight. Where it got trickier, with the directions, you really lucked out. Your windows, thankfully, seemed to face the cardinal points. You only had two, so you had the north and the west covered. Your neighbour had you cat sitting, so you had the south window covered as well…

 

The problem was the east window.

 

Which is why you sat in the hallway, computer plugged into the socket, and the jar hiding on the windowsill behind the ficus.

 

You got strange looks, but your neighbors didn't care enough to stop and ask you what you were doing.

 

You were fading, absolutely drained and fatigued. The highly caffeinated drinks and energy shots were ceasing to be as effective. You were popping a  _ severely  _ unhealthy amount of caffeine pills, which were losing efficiency, and then you had to shovel food to try keeping your energy up.

 

When this was over, you were going to hibernate.

 

Thankfully, your boys were being exceptionally helpful. They kept you awake, and contributed a fair half of the magic required for the salve. You were amazed at how it had transformed from plant parts floating gently in clear water into an oddly opalescent... goo?

 

You were now very certain you were in no way, shape, or form getting any use out of that gold coin again.

 

Still, you had to focus on the jar, on keeping a steady flow of your energy into it…

 

“I still think this plan is ridiculous”

 

“Like it or not, our Dove had a point. This is the most readily available East facing window.”

 

And you had your company, your boys! Though you could only hear them now. They’d been the best companions you could’ve asked for throughout this thing, keeping you awake and prompting you to eat and to refocus your concentration when your sleep-addled mind wandered.

 

There

 

“A hallway. Any number of things could happen and make us have to leave!”

 

“Yet all these things you worry over are equally likely to occur while in our Dove’s dwelling. Paranoia does not suit you.”

 

You roll your eyes as you check your social media accounts, there was supposed to be a concert happening in the next week or so. Apparently Lúcio was going to make it to your area, and the venue was a decent place relatively nearby.

 

Not that you could go, anyway. Too many things could go wrong, and your boys wouldn't be able to make it with all the security… Probably wouldn't be able to. Well, maybe…

 

“Dove, your focus is waning.”

 

You jolted upright, instantly going to the “connection” you had with the salve (for lack of better terminology to use. Magic apparently lacked descriptive words).

 

You had been dangerously close to subconsciously dropping your connection to the salve, but with Frost’s warning you were able to bolster the connection.

 

You groaned and sagged against the wall, pinching the bridge of your nose as you fought the rising tide of your mounting headache. “I'm gonna be so happy when this is over and done with.”

 

“Dove, we look forward to when this is done immensely. We just have to get through tonight.” He sounded like he went to pat you reassuringly, but the gesture lacked the usual comfort since he couldn’t touch you.

 

Still, you sigh and lean where he sounds to be coming from. “Tonight can’t be over fast enough…” King scoffs at your whine and you stick your tongue out. “Anyway, you guys ever been to a concert? Looks like a big musician is coming to town and seeing him could be fun!”

 

Frost made a noise of curiosity, and you could hear shifting leather- was he trying to peek at your screen? “Where is it, Dove? Human music is always so interesting and different from our own.”

 

King grunted in disagreement, “You try bringing new material into any of the Courts, see if they let you play for more than a minute  _ hermano _ . They don’t want to change, but our music is just fine.”

 

Frost huffed, “just because you can play guitar doesn’t mean-”

 

“Yes it means that  _ exactly _ -”

 

The two switched to bicker in their native language, their dueling melodic tones seeming almost like a musical performance of their own. You seem to be lulled in a trance, their voices tethering you only in the vaguest sense to the present, while your connection to the salve strengthens itself.

 

Before you knew it, you were being gently nudged by someone. “Hey… Hey are you alright? You’ve been staring into space since I got back from work an hour ago. It’s 5 am now?”

 

You blinked owlishly to clear your blurry gaze, and swivel to look up at the stranger. You couldn’t tell much about him except he looked fairly generic, but his expression said he completely believed you were high and he was very hesitant to touch you.

 

You opened your mouth to say something to validate your presence, realized you couldn’t since you'd forgotten all your excuses, in a moment of brilliance you mumbled something about college classes and exams. You ignored his confused look, grabbed all your belongings and the finished salve, before you trudged down the hall back to your place.

 

Everything but the salve gets dumped unceremoniously on your dining room table, and the salve comes with you to your room. You flop onto your bed, sliding into the middle of it, before dabbing just a little bit of the weird goo on your eyelids.

 

You’re out like a light before you can see if it works, but your subconscious self is eased by the feeling of two sets of arms winding around you protectively.

Your first thoughts back in the waking world were, “I feel like I just got hit by a truck.” You stayed put, hoping the tide of exhaustion would pull you into the depths of sleep. While it seemed and felt somewhat like an exercise in futility, you tried to no avail. While you desperately attempt to force yourself to go back to sleep, you idly notice some noise? You lift your head up from your pillow, and tilt your head to better hear. It sounds like the pleasant crackling of flames, a guitar strumming out an unknown tune, and a voice so beautiful you thought it could make angels weep.

 

You sighed happily and flopped back into your previous position, allowing the sound of music to lull you back to the brink of sleep.

 

You fell into a lovely doze as you listened. You couldn't quite tell where one song ended and the next began, since the segues from one to the next were so fluid. You only noticed when it ended, and you felt infinitely more refreshed.

 

You heard footsteps approaching your room, and you cracked an eye open to see King enter. He smiled and sat by your bedside, “Good afternoon,  _ cariño _ . How did you sleep?”

 

You thought nothing of this softer attitude, he was usually in a gentler mood when Frost wasn't around. “‘m good, your music helped.” You made grabby motions towards the Avatar of Autumn, and he chuckled before scooting over to you, wrapping you in his warmth. “Frost have Winter business?”

 

He grunted his agreement, “Something about Australia that he needs to take care of personally.”

 

You hum your agreement and cuddle further into the warmth, burying your face in his chest. “‘m glad it worked. Nice cuddling with you all the time.”

 

King gave a mock sigh, “I suppose this is my burden to bear.”

 

You nodded, “glad you've resigned yourself to your new fate.”

 

You two bantered in that fashion for a time, the two of you basking in one another’s company and just enjoying the time you share. You didn't know when you drifted to sleep again, but when you next woke up, Frost had returned. The three of you were tangled together in one sleepy knot. You smiled and you snuggled back into where you were sandwiched between the two Avatars.

 

Not a bad way to wake up, not at all. You groaned into your cereal at Frost’s statement. “Do we have to go today? It's my last day off…”

 

To which both of the Avatars nodded in agreement. “there's a need to do it sooner than later. The longer you have the salve, the less amenable they will be towards you- Watcher or not.”

 

There was no way of getting out of it.

 

Which explains how you wound up in the park on your day off.

 

Frost was leading you to the Gateway, and King kept the rear to make sure nobody could sneak up on your little group.

 

You held the bottle very carefully, you didn't think such a small thing could cause such a big fuss. Nevertheless, you were taking no chances on that one.

 

The two led you past the kids park you met at so long ago, and into the trees. Turning sharply at an old oak, the duo tugged you into a new section of forest. You continued to walk, and walk, and walk even more. 

 

It was odd, if you were remembering the size of the park correctly, this stretch of forest was impossibly large for the size of the rest of the park. You long since should've hit the far side of the park…

 

Before you knew it, the trees started looking… Different? You examined them more closely, and we're surprised to find that the branches of the canopy seemed to be creating a roof out of the limbs. 

 

Upon that discovery, you paid more attention to the trees- slowly they grew closer together, and the trunks eventually became a grand hallway. It seemed frozen in the height of each of the seasons- luminescent icicles, blossoms ready to bloom, lush grass, and piles of crisp leaves. It all appeared oddly scattered around in a way that seems haphazard, but the longer you look the greater a sense of balance finds you.

 

“Remember, eat or drink nothing here,  _ cariño _ ,” King whispered as you stopped before two double doors.

 

Before you could reply, the doors opened without sign of any physical intervention.

 

You immediately realized how impressed you were.

 

The entirety of the Court was here- everyone was dressed in finery that seemed more appropriately placed in some Arthurian era ball. For that thought, however, you couldn't say they looked gaudy or displeasing. True to what you know, the  _ Others _ all seemed to look appealing, yet otherworldly.

 

… Yet all of them set something off in your hindbrain. You couldn't help but feel an overbearing sense that you were being surrounded by dangerous predators the further in you walked.

 

Having Frost and King by your side was suddenly more appreciated than ever.

 

On a throne, at the head of the court, sat a beautiful woman- hair and skin smooth and flawless. Her eyes were what were astonishing, however. They showed a hint of an ancient knowledge, and there was an air about her that made you feel like you could tell her anything.

 

You didn't trust that. You only trusted your Avatar companions.

 

Frost stepped forward, dipping his head in a greeting. “My Lady, I bring forth our Watcher-”

 

“You seem to have quite some nerve, Winter,” the Queen cut in, her voice sharp yet melodic. “To have aided in the creation of such a concoction, both you and Autumn, goes against everything we stand for.”

 

King stepped forward, “We helped so we may help our Watcher, and be with them full time. Would you not do the same?”

 

The entire court seemed to freeze, nobody dared breathe.

 

The silence however, was telling.

 

Frost took this moment to smooth things over. “My Lady, we brought you the salve in question, which has only seen use by our Watcher. You take custody, and may it serve you well.”

 

Her face was blank as she observed the group, resting her head on her fist. “I suppose I must accept your offering. To imprison the seasons is to alienate my Court from all others. Just know that knowledge of this endeavor will spread, dear guests.”

 

The air seemed to take a biting quality to it that you knew she was the source of, and you had to force yourself not to shiver.

 

“So!” She clapped her hands suddenly, making you jump a bit. “Who would like a drink?”

 

King stopped the  _ Other _ on their way over to you with a platter of drinks, “we will be bringing our Watcher back with us, she will not remain in your Court, My Lady.”

 

Her face sourer for a moment, all her loveliness disappearing in that instant to show something indescribably dangerous, before smoothing once more into a mask of enchanting beauty. “A pity, but to be expected. Go, leave the salve and begone.”

 

With that dismissal, the court became a buzzing hive of the  _ Other _ 's strange language. You look down to find the jar you had been holding had disappeared, and Frost and King were leading you out.

 

You felt her eyes on you until the moment the doors closed.

 

You looked from Frost to King, smiling and lacing your hands with their own. You smiled as the three of you set out, to enjoy your many days together for as long as you can.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a 4k word commission! $35 c:
> 
> Interested in my [commissions](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-c1q0M4nx-b1fJnfgQew1pIyTS0gXF0_oKFyqWjO2KY)? Message me on [tumblr](issamorg.tumblr.com/ask) for more info!


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